Of Course
by dakotasugar
Summary: The new farmer starts to grow accustomed to farm life, but finds himself more interested in the people of the town. Specifically, a young man with some impressive blond hair. self-insert boyxboy (Male Farmer x Sam)
1. Chapter 1

I awoke to the chirping of birds and the slow hiss of the bus's brakes. The 16 hour trip to my new home was finally over. I had arrived in the quaint little town of Stardew Valley. Standing up from my seat, I hunched over to avoid hitting my head on the ceiling of the bus, and quickly picked up my luggage and headed out the door. I stepped foot onto the grassy land underneath me as the bus took off behind me. A faint breeze jostled my hair. The bus stop was rather underwhelming, much less busy than the one I had come from back in the city. Ugh, the city. I didn't want to think about the many years I had wasted working behind a computer screen, stuck up in a cubicle, and waiting for each monotonous day to end. A point came when I snapped, I couldn't take it anymore. I needed a way out and suddenly I thought back to my grandfather. He passed away when I was much younger, before I was in this living hell. A letter he had left me was still in my desk drawer, and I knew now was a better time to open it then ever. He had left me his farm in my name. I remembered visiting the farm, and enjoying the beautiful nature that surrounded it. The brisk water and lush forests combined to create some of my best memories as a child, and the thought of returning to the wilderness filled me with more excitement than any corporate promotion could provide. And so, without hesitation, I made the decision to give up my daily life in the city and come to the valley.

"Hey, you!" called a woman's voice. I looked over to where it had come from and saw a red-haired lady energetically walking toward me, being followed by a not as energetic older man.

"You must be the new farmer, right? What was your name again?" she questioned, looking me up and down and then reaching out her hand.  
"(m/n) is what most people call me." Why did I say that, that's what all people call me. I reached my hand out and she gave me a rather firm handshake.

"Well, Mr. (m/n)," she said with a smirk. "The name's Robin. I'm the local carpenter, so contact me whenever you need a job done. Oh, yeah, and this here is Lewis."

Lewis, Lewis, why did that name seem important? Oh, right, of course, this was my Grandfather's old friend. He had so many stories to tell of their younger days. I felt fortunate enough to know a bit about the mayor before making my first impression.

"Hi there, mayor." So much for making the most out of my first impression.

"Yes, hello, young man. It's a pleasure to welcome you to Stardew Valley. It's been so long since someone moved in, the whole town has been bustling with excitement at your arrival. If you would, follow me and I'll show you around your new farm." he explained, gesturing me to come with him.

I picked up my bags and made my way down the dirt path, on my way to the next step of my life.

"Well, here we are" Lewis said proudly.

I looked around. What a dump. Seriously, had the pristine natural landscape I enjoyed as a child really been transformed into this dilapidated wasteland? The place had been overrun with weeds as far as I could see, and the land had lost any sign it had even been a farm in the first place. Of course, I didn't say any of this to these two. First, because I didn't want to insult Lewis or my grandfather's generosity and legacy, and second, because Robin had already addressed it for me.

"Wow, this place hasn't obviously hasn't received any attention recently. But I'm sure you'll just love cleaning, I mean, living here."

"Robin! Is that any way to treat a newcomer? You should be ashamed." scolded

Lewis. Not that I felt any attachment to this place, but I did appreciate Lewis's reprimand.

"Well, farmer, I suppose we should leave you to your new place! Please, feel free to make yourself at home. This is your new home, after all. Once you're done setting up, please come to the town square and meet everyone. They're all dying to meet you." Lewis said.

And so, here it was. The direction my life was going, this new place, these new people, all staring me straight in the face. I walked up the wooden stairs, onto my new porch, each step creaking the boards beneath me. I took a deep breath, put my hand on the loose doorknob, and stepped into the home that may be my place of residence for the rest of my life. Well, it was bit more underwhelming than I expected. The drab yellow walls matched the rough hardwood in ugliness, the kitchen was hardly able to be called a kitchen, and the paint was chipping away in the corners to reveal the green wallpaper beneath it. The house was empty beside a twin sized bed opposite the kitchen, a television set, and a box in the middle of the floor. The box was addressed from Lewis, and inside I found some parsnip seeds.

"Parsnips, huh? How exciting." I said sarcastically. It's not as if I expected everything to be exciting. That was part of the reason I left my busy life in the city, to get away from excitement.

Rather than bother with the parsnips any further, I walked over to the TV and turned it one. I scrolled through the three channels, utterly uninterested. Well, at least I won't waste my time watching TV all day, and the weather channel should at least be useful. Great to know if it's going to rain, so I'm not burdened by the tediousness of watering my crops. It's only noon, yet I still feel tired. Probably because of the journey, but also probably because I'm just tired all the time in general. Hopefully I would get used to not being tired.

I step outside once again to be greeted by rays of sunshine unlike those found in the city. It only hit me now that this truly was a life different to anything I had previously known.

"Well, this place won't clean itself!" I declared, continuing the tradition of talking to myself. Grandpa had really left this place in a dump. Scattered rocks and branches from trees decorated the field. Patches of thick, long grass camouflaged entire areas of land, and as the distance from my house increased literal boulders and tree trunks dotted the land.

"Boulders? How did boulders even get here?"

No time to start like the present, and I immediately got to work. I got space cleared out and planted my first parsnips. "Rest easy, my children," I said, instantly regretting and wondering why I had just said that. My watering can which I had brought out with me was heavier than I had expected. When I went to pour some on the plants, liquid sloshed around, unevenly covering the soil. I never would have thought that I would need to increase my proficiency with a watering can.

"Good enough." I said to my lackluster accomplishment.

With the busy work completed, now was the time to explore this new town all on my own. Past the bus stop I walked, into the town square. It really was beautiful place. The bushes adorning each corner with vivacious greens, flower pots like rainbows breathing life and culture into the air. I gazed through the town, captivated by my amazement.

"Hey, watch where you're walkin', idiot!" shouted an irritated man as he bumped into me. I hadn't even noticed him, nor had I expected the locals to be so unfriendly. Well, I wasn't about to let one jerk ruin my first experience with the town. Outside a store was a calendar posted, listing various townsfolks' birthdays.

"How quaint," I once again said to myself, as I walked into the store. Organically lit, the rustic shop was unlike anything I had seen in the city.

"And you must be the new farmer! (m/n), was it? I'm Pierre, and here at Pierre's you'll find only the freshest produce available!"

"Oh, honestly, Pierre! Give them time to breath, will you! Not everything is an opportunity for financial gain," came a voice from an aisle. Out stepped a middle-aged, green-haired lady. Wait, green hair? Okay, sure. "Pardon my husband, new farmer. The name is Caroline. It truly is a pleasure to meet you." We shook hands and I left the store. I had a feeling I'd be visiting there often. I continued my self-guided tour of the town. Aside from the saloon, which I was not about to enter in the middle of the afternoon, the town was lightly filled with other houses. In front of one was a dog pen, leaning over the side was a tall, muscular boy about my age. Brown hair and illustrious eyes, I felt like I couldn't take my eyes off of him.

"Are you gonna introduce yourself or just keep looking at me? I'm not a model, you know." I guess I really couldn't take of eyes off of him. Despite my previous encounter and this guy's tough demeanor, he took to to me rather fondly.

"The name's Alex, big guy. I take it you're the new farmer everyone's been so fervent about."

"Uh, yes. Hello. Um," Was I blushing? "I, uh, just, uh, thought your dog was really cute, er, cool, or..."

"Thanks," he responded, rather earnestly. We talked a bit and walked about the town. I think I made a good impression, and by the time we got done walking, it was getting dark out. We said our goodbyes, and I made my way back home. You know, if all my days in this town were like this one, I think I could really love it here.


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N – So I wrote the first chapter across the span of about two months (obviously not consistently) when I got really bored. That's probably what'll happen this time. Time to write.**

Waking up at 6 in the morning would obviously be a habit I need to work on breaking, but for now that part of my old life would remain a bitter reminder of what was. Oh, well, tired or not, I knew I had some work to get done today before I could journey back into town and I try and meet some more new people. Before I stepped outside, I glanced over to the television set resting opposite the door. Maybe just a little TV before starting the day would be helpful.

"How can a TV only get 3 channels?" I said rather privilegedly as I flipped to the weather station.

"A bright, sunny day greets the valley tomorrow, so be sure to get outside and enjoy it!" The weatherman seemed enthusiastic, and I could appreciate that. I, however, was not nearly as enthusiastic at the thought of cleaning up my oh-so-lovely new farm!

"No time like the present," I said as I tried to motivate myself. Well, in reality, what was I expecting? This was a farm, and pristine or not, I knew this was the life I must want. Time to get to work.

A tiring three hours it was, as the unforgiving sun beat down on me. This in combination with the variety and multitude of obstacles which impeded my progress wore me out fully. I just hadn't worked up the stamina for work this hard yet. Boy, was I out of shape. What a shame, I was actually an athlete in high school. Any chance of maintaining my physique was destroyed by the amount of time I was forced to dedicate to Joja. No, I already told myself I would stop thinking about my old life. There was nothing from it I missed, and therefore no point in recounting it.

More work ensued, and eventually I discovered a large, purple, crystallized rock. As beautiful as it was, it was in my way, and thus needed to be gotten rid of. With a swift blow from my pick axe, I-

"Ouch! What the hell?" I said as I was flung backwards back by the boulder. If this boulder wanted to play rough, well, I'd play rough right back!

"Owww!" I yelled, this time landing on my wrist and twisting it. In hindsight, not my greatest idea, trying to defeat an apparently magical boulder. Well, this rock was obviously meant to stay. Even though the pain of losing my dramatic battle with a stone was almost too much to bare, I concluded I had done enough work for the day and decided, as I do with many things, to give up.

"I really am out of shape. Oh, well." I said with disappointment. Farm work every day was sure to build up my endurance eventually.

"I should see who's about the town. I mean, who doesn't spend their Tuesday evenings hitting up every club in their town of 20 people?" I chuckled, even though I hadn't found what I had said really all that funny.

Despite my earnest joke, the town seemed as bustling as it could be.

"Maybe Alex is around?" I wondered aloud, considering he was really the only one I felt like I knew.

"Maybe he is." I jumped a bit at the sound of Alex's voice and instantly blushed. Why do I do these things?

"H-hey Alex, I was just looking, um, I mean, I wasn't really sure how to, you know, um," What was wrong with me? Usually I had at least some dorky response, but my brain felt somewhere else.

"Uh, yeah...So, whatcha doin' out here, bud?"

"I, um," I composed myself, "I was just looking for something to do. I can't just stay cooped up in my little house all day."

"Dude, I totally get that. As for myself, I never like to stay in my house for a whole day. Not only can the grandparents get annoying, but a look like mine doesn't make itself." He said and I laughed and blushed a little. Wait, why do I keep blushing?

Looking to change the subject away from his "look", I said, "Grandparents? You live with them?"

"Yeah, it's a, uh, long story..." He said as he looked at the ground. Well, I was no idiot, so I changed the subject again.

"What were you doing out?"  
"Oh, just, uh, on my way to visit Haley."

"Haley? I don't think I've met her."

"Oh, well, to get the full experience I'd say you'd have to meet her yourself, but, in short, she's my girlfriend."  
"Oh, nice. Well, I wouldn't want to interrupt you two. I should probably go."

"Yeah, me too, I guess. I'll see you around?"

"Unless I disappear, I should hope so." He laughed a little and walked off. Well, I was sure there was more to see than just him in this town, so I walked toward the store. This time, I kept walking and came to a bridge over a river I hadn't even known ran through town. Leaning on the railing of a bridge was a red-haired girl.

"Hey," I said as I waved, "I'm the new farmer, (m/n), what's yours?"

She glanced over quickly, but didn't respond.

"Name, I mean."

"Oh, umm. I am Penny."

Weirdo.

"Well, it's nice to meet you, Ms. Penny, I hope we get to know each other soon." I said, as I kept walking.

"Yeah."

I don't think I really want to get to know her.

Across the river were many more buildings, including a library and a blacksmith. I'd probably visit there later eventually, so I decided to keep exploring.

"Oh, God, no." I said. Maybe it wasn't best to keep exploring. I was greeted with the sight of a real-life, disgusting, swindling, soulless, Jojamart. I really thought I had left all signs of Joja behind. Of course, having a store on the other side of town was incomparable to living every day constrained by their ruthless shackles, but still, I was not a fan of it.

"You know, staring at grocery stores is not most people's favorite pastime." A voice came from the store. I shook myself away from my reminiscing and looked down to see a handsome, blonde, young man. ...Handsome? Where was I getting off at this? Oh, well.

"Oh, uh, sorry, haha, just got some bad memories with this place."

"I get it, man. Hey, are you the new farmer? I knew we were getting one but I wasn't sure when I'd get the pleasure of meeting him."

To accompany my inevitable blush, I replied to this, "Yeah, that's me. (m/n)'s the name. Who are you?"

"My name's Sam. It really is nice to finally meet you." For someone who works for Jojamart, this kid was nice. We walked back into town together, and hit it off surprisingly well. We talked mostly about Joja, his family, and my farm. He was a really good conversationalist and I was actually kind of sad when we got to his house.

"Well, this is my stop, I'll see you around, farmer."

"See ya, Sam."

Sam. Sam. That's an alright name. I wonder what it's short for.

My conversations with Alex and Sam managed to use up my evening, and I decided to head back home. I thought about the rock, Alex, Sam, that weird girl, and the stars. What an appropriate name, Stardew Valley, cause the amount of stars I could see out here seemed immeasurable compared to those in the cities. With the moon they lit up the sky, illuminating the valley.


	3. Chapter 3

Despite having been here for a week now, I was still waking up bright and early. However, I didn't quite mind it at this point. Productivity on the farm was increasing and I really didn't want to see a lack of success now, so early mornings must continue.

When I awoke, it wasn't to the typical birds I had so far come to know. Instead, a loud, incessant pattering replaced them.

"That must be the rain. Either it rains a lot heavier here, or," I said and stopped myself short, realizing that wouldn't make any sense. The real culpirt of the pattering was the tin roof, I soon concluded.

"Hey, at least I don't have to water those parnsips, then," I said as I stepped outside, wearing my dark blue jacket.

My farm was picking up. I had cleared out a majority of the debris, leaving behind only the rocks and stumps I had deemed too strong for my tools so far. Those and the weird purple rock yet stood in my farm. I had already had my first harvest of parsnips. I would call it a success, but considering all I did was pour some water on some dirt for four days, it wasn't what one might call rewarding. Still, I was finally making some money, even if parsnips weren't that lucrative. In addition to the debris and parsnips, a man, Demetrius, had visited me a couple days ago. He agreed to set up my cave with either fruit bats or mushrooms, and, because bats terrify me, I chose mushrooms. Mushrooms don't terrify me, for the most part. Now that I was thinking of that cave, I decided I may as well check it out.

"So, do I just, like..." I was kind of confused. There were definitely mushrooms in these things. I reached in and pulled a brown mushroom out. Despite it just being a mushroom, I still felt a little disgusted.

"If I'm grossed out by a mushroom, maybe I'm not really cut out for this," I said and chuckled a bit. In all seriousness, I definitely preferred spending time in town, talking to all the interesting people, than spending time laboring over my farm. So, I decided I'd spend the rest of my day off in town.

This was my first time seeing the town in the rain, and I had to admit, I preferred it in this weather. I took a bit more time looking through town today, as the rain almost gave the town a new feel. The puddles splashing with each step and the dark clouds shrouding the land in mild darkness, the whole atmosphere really complemented the look of the buildings. Even the people seemed darker than usual. Wait, no, that was just a guy with dark hair wearing all black. I guess I hadn't met him yet.

"Hey, I, don't think we've met yet, I'm the new farmer, (m/n)." I said as he got closer to me. This greeting felt robotic at this point.

"Oh. Hey. I'm Sebastian."

"Well, Sebastian, what brings you out in the rain."

"Just looking for frogs." He said with a light smile.

"Oh, haha, nice."

"Well, I'll see you around." He said and walked off. Despite his immediate appearance, he was pretty nice.

"I wonder if Sam works today." I said to myself. I had actually seen and talked to Sam a couple times since our first encounter. As it turns out, he plays guitar in a band, and his Dad is out fighting the Gotoro Empire. He hates his job at Jojamart and we listen to the same music. He doesn't actually do anything to his hair, it somehow stays like that all on its own. He has the biggest room in his house. He appreciates and loves his mom, but she gets on his nerves sometimes so he doesn't spend too much time with her. He loves to skateboard. There are plenty of other things I could say that he told me, he was just too interesting.

While I dreamed...er, thought about Sam, I made my way to the Jojamart. I had actually grown desensitized to the place despite my dramatic reaction to it earlier, and so I walked in.

"Greetings valued custo-" I angirly glanced toward Morris, the corporate crony manager trying to turn the town into a Joja puppet. "mer..." He returned my glare.

"You know, sir, we have a strict 'no loitering' policy instated here." He said, each word more poignant and scathing than the last.

"Oh, no worries, I'm just browsing." I said politely and passive-aggressively, not batting an eyelash or giving him the courtesy to look at him while I spoke. I had absolutely no respect for him.

Of course, I was not there to shop. I was there to see Sam. Usually, he was in the back "working", so that's where I went. Fortunately, there he was, mopping the same spot over and over again, paying much more attention to his music. Nice.

"Hey, Sam."

Nothing.

"Hey, Sam." Louder this time.

He jumped.

"Sorry, I didn't mean to scare you."

"Haha, it's okay. What're you doing here?" He lifted one ear of his headphones and leaned on the mop. I was happy to know he was glad to see me.

"I, uh, came to see you." Now that I said that out loud, I realized it was kind of creepy.

"Well, I'm flattered," He said, and, if I wasn't mistaken, blushing a little at the same time.

"When does your shift end?" I knew the answer, I had memorized his schedule when he told me. Of course, I had timed my walk to get in when he was supposed to get off.

Sam checked his watch. "Right now, actually."

"Oh, cool."

"Let me just put my stuff away."

I waited for Sam and we walked toward the mountain lake. I hadn't spent too much time up there yet. Only to visit Robin once in a while. Sam took me across a couple bridges to a small island in the middle of the lake with a lone tree. We sat on either side of it, skipping rocks.

"So, why do you stay working at Jojamart?"

"Why do you farm? With Dad gone, I'm the breadwinner now."

"Point taken. Doesn't your mom work?"

"She does, but it's nice to have some extra cash for Vincent's sake. Plus, considering I have so much free time, I may as well try and do something to benefit the family, at least somewhat."

"Oh, that's thoughtful."

"Don't get me wrong, it's nowhere near my dream job. I'd give anything for something different, but it's really the only place to work around here."

"I know that feeling all too well. What is your dream job, then?"

"I'd love to be a musician. Like, professionally. I wanna tour across the country with my band. I wanna write songs about everything."

"Hey, me too! Does your band need a keyboard player?"

"Well, we could use another one, I guess. You want in?"

"Definitely! Who else plays?"

"Sebastian, but, and don't tell him I said this, he's not very good."

"Oh, haha. I met him earlier today. Seems like a nice guy."

"Yeah, he won't admit, but he's really a big softie."

We sat there a bit. We didn't say much, but it wasn't awkward. The rain had slowed down, becoming almost mist. It was cool and slightly windy. The perfect weather, Sam and I agreed. I learned Pierre's daughter, Abigail, played drums in the band.

"I don't think I've met her, yet."

"Ah, you guys'll get along great." Sam said this, but not in his usual, cheery tone. I could tell she was a sensitive topic.

"You good?"

"Yeah, totally."

"Alright."

We sat a bit longer. We didn't talk about Abigail anymore, but he told me a bit about Sebastian. Normally, I felt somewhat offended when people talked too long. I always felt like I had plenty of stuff to say. However, I couldn't manage to be upset with him. Listening to him talk was just too satisfying. Maybe it was time to finally admit to myself that Sam was pretty great. Of course, I hardly knew him. But all I did know of him was good. He reminded me of myself, and we related to each other well. I don't know how to describe it, hanging out with him just felt right.

And so we sat there, speaking little and understanding each other.


	4. Chapter 4

"(m/n), the band's getting together for a jam session. You in?"

"Of course!" I replied eagerly to the familiar voice of Sam on the other end of the phone call.

"See you soon."

"Yep!" I hung up and started out the door. Any time I could spend with Sam at this point was exciting, even if there were other people around.

"Hey, (m/n), glad you could make it." Sam greeted me at the door.

"Me, too." We walked back toward his room. I said hello to Jodi and Vincent, the former of whom was leaving and the latter of whom was going to his room.

"Hey, guys, you both know (m/n), right?"

"I don't think so. Hey, I'm Abigail." I had already guessed this was the Abigail Sam and I had talked about earlier.

"(m/n) is here to play keyboard with you, Sebastian."

"Sweet, let me show you the ropes." Sebastian had quite the setup. He delegated me his second keyboard, showing me how to change instruments and whatnot.

"1, 2, 3, 4" Sam counted off and laid down an epic guitar solo. I had a thing for guitar solos.

Abigail rolled her eyes and laid down a rock beat and soon Sebastian joined in. Although it wasn't the most impressive, it was nice to see Sebastian was better than I had expected. If this is what Sam considered not very good, I was worried what he would think of me. Oh, well, I'd never find out just sitting here.

"I guess...I should," I thought to myself. I felt a bit out of my league. I started mimicking Sebastian as best I could. Fortunately, we were really only laying down a progression for Sam to jam over. That was fine with me, I wasn't completely comfortable around these guys yet.

Sebastian looked over at me, smiled, and started to add in some more complicated stuff. Maybe foolishly, I took this as encouragement. I added in a couple riffs of my own, which managed to garner the attention of even Sam, who slowed his pace at first, but thankfully readily joined back in with his initial vivacity.

Eventually Sam lost himself a guitar solo a little too much, and got off beat and out of key. Abigail, not willing to keep up, quit her drumming. Sebastian followed suit and I realized it was just me and Sam at that point. Even if it was fun, our music sounded awful, so I stopped, too.

"Yo, Sam. I think it's worn out." Sebastian snapped Sam out of it.

"Oh, sorry, haha. Guess I just got lost in the music."

"Right." Abigail said smugly. I could tell Sam did this often. Tense but not awkward silence followed.

"I think we all were." I said and Sebastian chuckled a bit. In all seriousness, that was about half an hour of, if I say so myself, pretty great music. I could tell that I was gonna fit in with these guys, at least musically.

The band continued on for at least two hours, I had honestly lost track of the time, I was too involved. Playing music with these guys, with _Sam_ , just felt right.

The music wound down for what felt like the twentieth time, and everyone looked ready to quit.

"Well, gang, that was pretty great. Have fun, (m/n)?"  
"I guess," I said sarcastically, and fortunately Sam recognized this and laughed.

"Let's wrap it up, then." Abigail chimed in and started hitting the ride cymbal slowly and evenly. Sam smirked, furrowed his eyebrows and started playing to match, a noticeable deviation from his usual fiery style. Wait, I know this song. Oh my God, I know this song. At my realization I audibly caught my breath, earning a grin from Sam. It was _Say It Ain't So,_ by Weezer. I loved this song. I could tell they loved it too, as the three of them quickly became engrossed in the music. Of course, I had to play along.

I knew all the lyrics by heart, and was singing along under my breath. When we got to the bridge, I was suddenly joined.

" _Dear Daddy,_

 _I write you_

 _In spite of years of silence_ "

Sam began to sing.

" _You've cleaned up_

 _Found Jesus_

 _Things are good or so I hear_ "

I noticed Sam's eyes start to glisten.

" _This bottle_

 _Of Stephen's_

 _Awakens ancient feelings_ "

I understood too well.

" _Like father_

 _Step-father_

 _The son is drowning in the flood!_ "

Oh, Sam!

" _Yeah, yeah yeah, yeah yeah!_ "Sam backed up like he had been singing into a microphone, locked eyes with me for a split second, and instantly shot his eyes to the ground. Abigail continued to play, but she didn't dare to look away from her instrument.

"He doesn't...he's never sang before..." Sebastian said toward me but more to himself. I hadn't realized it, but I was tearing up. Partly due to the music, and partly at seeing Sam get so emotional. Finally, the song came to its close, and after the last note sounded the four of us just sat in silence.

"Sorry, (m/n), that's just, uh, how we, er, how I...um...end. With that, song, I mean."

I wasn't exactly sure how to respond so I opted not to. That song was one of my favorites, but mentioning that now seemed inappropriate.

More silence passed until finally Abigail said, "That was really fun guys. (m/n), it was so great to have you here. I think I'm going to enjoy playing music with you."

"I bet you will." Sam said angrily, unexpectedly.

"Sam! What's your problem?" Abigail snapped back.

"Oh, I'm sorry! Here I was just pouring my heart out and not one of you wants to comfort or talk to me!"

"We don't owe you any help! Just cause you've got daddy issues doesn't mean we need to."

"Are you kidding me? I can't believe my ears! How can you call yourselves my friends and not care about me?"

"Because, Sam, you're not the only one with problems!"

"And if you were open enough to share your problems, I'd help you out, Abigail. But the least you can do right now is not argue with me and make me feel like I'm being ridiculous right after I was emotionally open to you guys!"

"Sam, buddy, can we please talk about this later?" said Sebastian, sincerity in his eyes.

"I know this isn't a good time. But even so, I don't need any more criticism." Sam was obviously embarrassed. Partly from arguing in front of me, and partly at the his feelings of rejection.

"Sam, you're the one who got mad at me!" Abigail said, more out of confusion than anger. At this, Sam seemed to calm himself down. However, he was still visibly shaken.

"You know, what Abigail, I think I have one more song. Just a little thing I've been working on just for you." And Sam started to play _Creep_ by Radiohead.

And Sam started to sing.

" _You float like a feather_

 _In a beautiful world_

 _And I wish I was special_

 _You're so fuckin' special_ "

Sarcastically.

" _But I'm a creep_

 _I'm a weirdo_

 _What the hell am I doing here?_

 _I don't belong here_ "

Abigail's eyes glistened.

" _I don't care if it hurts_

 _I want to have control_

 _I want a perfect body_

 _I want a perfect soul_ "

I understood too well.

" _I want you to notice_

 _When I'm not around_

 _You're so fuckin' special_

 _I wish I was special._ "

Sam's angered voice cut into Abigail. He was hardly even singing at this point but his fingers continued to shred.

"I'm sorry, Sam! I know I hurt you! I didn't...I couldn't...I thought...it would be better..." Abigail was crying. Abigail got up and ran out of Sam's room, out of the house, _crying_. Sebastian quickly got up and followed her.

"She's running out again,

She's running out

She's run

Run

Run

Run _._ "

Sam spoke the last lyrics to himself quickly. Lost in thought. He looked despondent. Or relieved.

"(m/n), I'm, I'm sorry you had to see that. If you haven't figured it out yet, Abigail's my ex-girlfriend. She broke up with me about a month ago and although she might have thought we were on good terms, I'm not ready to forgive her just yet." Sam Sat down. I sat beside him.

I stayed silent.

"That song...that song meant a lot to us, while we were together."

"I, I..." I still wasn't sure what to say.

"It's okay. I know that was a lot to take in. I really didn't handle the situation well at all. I just, I'm so fed up with her. She's been so aggressive. She's blamed me for everything. She manipulated, used me. And she, she..." I could tell it pained Sam to talk about this.

Words finally found me. "You can, uh, talk to me about anything. About Abigail. About, um, your dad. Whatever. Just know, that, uh, I'm here for you." I was so nervous. I was overjoyed that Sam had opened up to me, but simultaneously distressed because I really could understand what Sam was going through. It was upsetting to see him like this, so genuinely lost. I hesitantly put my arm around Sam's shoulder.

"Thanks, (m/n). That really," he took a deep breath, "means a lot." He turned toward me, not smiling, not frowning, meaning in his eyes. His golden hair was soft. He closed his eyes and finally looked at ease. He smiled a bit. We sat there peacefully until I noticed a very slight, persistent noise.

"Do you hear, like, crying?" I said.

Sam opened one eye, then suddenly jolted up. "Oh, damn, that's Vincent. I gotta go talk to him. He didn't need to hear all that. You should probably go."

"Oh, uh, okay."

"Sorry. My mom might be home soon anyway. I'll see you around." Sam walked me to the door.

"Bye, Sam." And he closed the door.

Well, that was abrupt. I needed some time to process all that. At least we would have a lot to talk about now.

 **(A/N) – I hope people know those songs well enough, and I hope it wasn't too cheesy.**


	5. Chapter 5

Slow, pattering rain hit the surface of the mountain lake. On an island in the middle we sat. Against a tree on either side, staring at our reflections.

"That's a shame." He said.

I skipped another rock. "It is what it is," I said. "Either way, he was happy to be away from me, so I don't dwell on it. He's happier now."

"That's how it was with her. I know we're better off not talking to each other. Doesn't mean I'm sad we don't," he skips a rock, "but it also doesn't mean I'm not thankful to not have to deal with her."

"..."

"You know what I mean?"

"Uh-huh."

Sam turned his head to the left. I made eye contact, and he looked up. In the time since the band's jam session, we'd gotten friendlier. He talked about his Dad a lot. I could tell he was proud of his Dad, but it certainly also bothered him, considering he wasn't there for much of teenage years. I told him I could relate, knowing my relationship with my Dad wasn't pristine either. Sam's issues with his father didn't help on top of his problems with Abigail. He had a lot to complain about, and he wasn't entirely emotionally stable. I was happy to be there for him, even if it felt like I wasn't doing much, just being someone for him to vent to. The rain continued.

"It wasn't even my fault."

"Of course."

"She acted like it was, naturally. After everything I did for her, I was there for her, I sacrificed for her, after everything, she was still ungrateful. Do you know what its like, giving up so much for someone, and still being underappreciated?" He threw a rock.

"Yeah." The rain looked like it was letting up.

"That's what it was like with my Dad. You know, when he could even bother to be around. He blamed me for everything. Always my fault. I don't know why. Then they had Vincent and my Dad had to go. Vincent barely knew him. Poor kid, he looks up to me so much, it's a lot of pressure. But I'm not my dad, I don't know what to say to him. I hate blaming my Dad, but it's kind of his fault. Well, not fault, but it's because of him that Vincent's growing up with only me to look up to as a father figure. I don't wanna call him lazy, he's fighting for us, but it still hurts." Another head turn.

"You know what I mean?"

I looked at Sam and smiled, turned back and threw a rock. "Of course."

He skipped another rock. The ripples it made were indistinguishable from those made by the rain.

"Have you tried hitting the rock with your pickaxe?" said Alex.

"Oh, what was I thinking? You break rocks with pickaxes, what a fool I was! Here, as a reward for your bright idea I'll allow you to break it," I said, holding my iron pickaxe out to Alex. Not sensing my sarcasm, he took it, preparing to defeat the purple rock which had so plagued my farm.

"Thank you. Now for the r-" He hit the rock once and was, of course, thrown back.

"Oh, dear! I never saw it coming! Are you okay?" I said, pretending to care.

"Rude. What's up with this thing?"

"It was here when I got here. It's the last thing I have to get rid of before I have the whole farm cleaned up, and it's kind of getting on my nerves. Really throws off the mojo of my farm. You know?"

"I feel you. So why'd you bring me here?"

"First off, cause I knew I could trick you into hitting it. That was funny," Alex shot me a glare. I smiled back. "But second, I wanted to see if you could find anyway to get rid of it."

"Huh. Well, I know you don't expect me to use my brain to think of something. So," Alex took his shirt off, "I'll use my other tactic." Alex flashed a wide grin and flexed.

"Ha, oh, haha, okay." I couldn't help blushing. What? Alex was ripped, sometimes I can't control myself. To avoid embarrassment, I turned around and started to walk. "I'll leave you to it, then."

"I defy you, rock!" All I heard was grunts, footsteps, and fist hitting sediment as I walked away. Alex was interesting. He came off as a brute of sorts, and was certainly intimidating until I got to know him better. As he's opened up, I know he's just a big softie, but that doesn't mean he doesn't still scare me a little. Oh well, of the two people I had actually managed to become friends with in this town, I wasn't even on great terms with Alex. Sure, we'd talk, but I had been the only one who had made an actual effort to get us to hang out. Oh, well. I'd figured I'd need to take initiative when it came to meeting new people, but it's just sooo much effort. Sam, on the other hand, was always willing to hang out. In fact, sometimes he would call me to hang out or even just to talk. Speaking of, I got a call from Sam just then. I picked up.

"What's up, Sam?"

"Come to my house."

"Uh, okay...something important?"

"No. I just wanna hang out."

"Oh!" I smiled, thankful he couldn't see me blushing. "Right now?"

"Yeah."

"Okay. See you soon!"

"Yep." Sam hung up. As much as he always wanted to see me, I didn't always sense that. He never sounded excited to see me, even if I had plenty of enthusiasm. He certainly wants to see me, otherwise why would we? Maybe it's something else. Maybe he feels obligated to hang out with me? Maybe he feels bad? No! No. I'm thinking about this way too much. Sam's always apathetic, that's just his style. And I can appreciate that. While I was thinking I had been walking toward Sam's house. I had started taking the long way through Cindersap Forest for hear of actual human interaction. This gave me time to think, along with the scenery being quite beautiful.

"About time!" I heard Sam's voice. Naturally, this was sarcasm.

"There you are. What are you doing outside on your own? So unlike you." I chimed back, happy to see that he had come to meet me. Funny, he had noticed I started taking this route to his house.

"Be quiet." We started walking through the forest.

"Tell me, what's on your mind?"

"Sebastian's been annoying lately."

"Oh?"

"Well, he keeps getting on my case for the thing with Abigail. He tells me I need to make things up and that he wishes things could go back to the way they were. But I know any effort I make to communicate with her will be wasted."

"How so?"

"Anything I say, she'll take it as an attack on her person. She won't let me get away with saying anything which may victimize myself, especially if I confront her."

"Have you explained that to Sebastian?"

"Yeah, kinda...most of the time he doesn't like to talk about that kind of stuff anyways, so when we do its mostly limited to him complaining and that being the extent of our conversation."

"Sounds like you're going to need to be the one to take initiative if anything will get better. Granted, you could say nothing, but then things will never get any better."

"Yeah, you're right. But it's so difficult to talk to either of them. They're both so stubborn in their own regards and discussing this kind of emotional thing has never been easy with either of them. I told both of them I wanted things to stay the same after Abby, sorry, Abigail and I broke up, so I blame them for what's happened. It's ridiculous that it should be up to me to fix things."

"Sometimes you just have to be the bigger man. I know you can handle it, and even so, don't worry, I'll help you out. If you ever want me to come along or something, I don't know...just know you're not the only one on your side."

"..."

"If that makes sense..."

"Yeah..."

It was getting darker out. We walked along the river, the sunset giving enough light to show our reflections. The calm, flowing water was enough to keep us entertained, so Sam and I took some time to admire it. The water reminded me of my old home. The city I worked in was, like most, built along a river, but the pollution of the factories and industries there had sullied the pure water to the point where you could not even compare it to this river. Like where water comes together with other water, in its essence the water was the same, but its implications and symbolization for me now made the waters different. Sam lied down on his stomach, peering over the river bank. I squatted beside him.

"You've lived here your whole life, right?"

"Sure have."

"Does much change?"

"Funny you should ask. My life has been anything but static. Even if the town is small, the relationships I've built with the few people I've met are always changing, you know that. It's like I'm always meeting new people, though in reality the people are just changing. As for the valley and town itself however, not really. The mayor's always been the mayor. People are doing the same work. Someone new moves in every once in a while. This river, has always been here. It's never the same water, and it never flows in quite the same way, but it's still the same river. I think that represents a lot of what Stardew Valley is about. Even if our lives are dynamic, it's all mostly routine..."

"How very poetic." I mocked.

"Shut up." Sam smiled.

"Well, I hope we can stay friends." I looked at him and smiled. To my surprise, he turned away, and stopped smiling.

"Oh...Yeah, me, too." Sam returned some enthusiasm, but I could tell something bothered him.

"Something wrong with that?"  
"No! I mean, why would there be."

"Mm." I stood up and Sam did the same. The sunset had passed and now the forest turned dark. The only light came from a few lamps placed around and the light reflected by the water. We started walking again. Why would Sam say act like that? Maybe he really doesn't like me. Maybe I was right to think he feels obligated to hang out with me. Or maybe...I don't wanna get my hopes up, but wouldn't that be something? If Sam felt the same way. Oh, well, I don't wanna make things weird. I certainly won't bring it up, I'll pretend like nothing happened.

We were walking toward the lake on the other side of the forest and Sam kicked a rock. It rolled to a stop in front of me, so I kicked. Due to my utter lack of coordination, the rock hardly moved. Sam laughed and I blushed. He helped me out and kicked a bit further. A little too far, cause the rock fell in the lake.

"C'mon." I said. Sam was slowing up. I walked out on the dock which extended into the center of the lake. The dim light complemented Sam, in his tattered blue jacket, he really looked great. Man, his hair never stopped impressing me. I stopped my staring and sat down on the edge of the dock as Sam walked over. He took a seat next to me.

"What's Sam short for?"

"Samson."

"Hm..."

"My dad came up with it. Don't know why."

"Cute."

"Sure." Sam blushed a little. I wish I knew what he was thinking. Is this going where I think it's going? A firefly flew over and landed on the back of Sam's hand. He raised it up to examine it.

"Hey little fella',"

"Don't patronize him," I said.

"Oh, my bad. I didn't mean to hurt its feelings,"

"You're ridiculous."

"Hm."

"..."

"Do you ever feel, (m/n), like, so motivated when you start something, but you're too scared to commit to it and you know you won't be able to follow through so you just don't start it in the first place?"

"Sure."

"Well, how do you get past that?"

"Usually I think about why I want to do what I'm doing and keep that in mind. If my inaction will affect other people, well, then I should probably do it. It's also important to keep the end goal in mind."

"Oh." Tears were forming in Sam's eyes.

"Why do you ask? Something up?" I tried to play it cool.

"Because," Sam inhaled, "I don't know if I'm gonna be able to commit to this..."

"...To what?" And at this Sam grabbed the side of my face, and turned it so we faced each other. His eyes ached with concern, and I stared back, knowing all too well what he meant. I understood, and took Sam's face in my own hands. I closed my eyes and quickly put my head forward, pressing my lips to Sam's. He exhaled, letting out a little sob, and kissed me back. I can't believe this. This isn't real. I didn't even know Sam was...I couldn't see...what was going to...

My mind was racing, but all my focus was on Sam. He pulled back first, and looked up at me. His eyes still showed worry, but they danced with excitement, I could tell. His mouth curled upwards and he giggled a bit sadly. I chuckled back. Soon we were both laughing, and I pulled him into a hug. I grasped his face and kissed him again, this time with more fervor. We sat, laughed, and kissed. I pulled back this time.

I smiled.

"What now?"

"Well, usually I wake up now."

Sam chuckled.

"I'm glad..." Sam said.

"If ever you can't commit to me, I'll take full responsibility."

"You shouldn't say that. I, I...

"What?"

"I think...I love you, (m/n)."

"Huh."

"Well...?"

"Well?"

"C'mon! Say it back!"

"Oh, yeah. I love you, too, Sam."

Sam smiled at me with his entire body.


	6. Chapter 6

**(a/n: trying to make my chapters longer...last one did that...not so much this time)**

I hate waking up in the morning, and I'd bet more than most other people. But, as this valley's prime exporter of parsnips, I cannot let my farm go without care. As I stepped outside into the crisp morning air, I realized it must be the first day of summer.

"Oh my god...who murdered all my beautiful parsnips...?" Summer had. Summer had taken my precious vegetables.

"I'm in a silly mood," I said to myself, giggling. My mind was still racing from my time with Sam last night. Had I really kissed him? Did he really say he loved me? It's impossible. I must have been dreaming. What would we do now? The possibilities are limitless. How long has he felt this way? How did we both know? How could I be so lucky? Overjoyed, these thoughts circulated in my mind as I cleared out the corpses of my parsnips, taken from me all too soon.

I must have been so caught up in my daydreaming that I hadn't even realized the burly voice calling my name.

"Yo, (m/n)!"

"Huh?"

"You alright?"

"Oh, just fine."

"Glad to hear."

"Why are you here, Alex?"

"Well, like I said, I never back down from a challenge. I also don't like to lose, especially to inanimate objects. That boulder of yours may think that it's won, but it's in for a world of hurt." He pounded his fist into his hand.

"You don't have to do that, you know?"

"Oh, yes I do!"

"If you insist," I let Alex try his chances with the boulder again, I had much more important things to think about, such as how I would blow off starting my farm work to see Sam.

The night of the incident, Sam was getting home much too late for his mother's approval. He saw all the lights were out and assumed the coast was clear. He undid the latch holding his window closed, raised the pane, and crawled through. Unfortunately, the tip of his sneaker got caught on the sill and he fell about three feet to the ground, landing with an impressive thud.

 _Dammit! I hope Mom didn't hear that,_ and just at Sam's thought, the hallway light flicked on.

 _So much for that._

"Sam, is that you?" Jodi sounded both concerned and furious. Sam wasn't eager to find out which she really was.

Sam stayed silent.

Jodi opened the door and flicked on Sam's room's light.

"Oh, honestly, Sam?! It's past midnight!" She refrained from raising her voice to avoid waking Vincent, but her anger was evident in the intensity of her voice.

"Mom, I-"

"I don't care what you have to say. How can you think this is okay? Not only is this incredibly irresponsible, but you scared the living daylights out of me! I know you can take care of yourself but as long as I am your mother and you are living under my roof, the least you can do is try and abide by my rules..."

"Listen, Mom, I'm sorry, I lost track of time, and, and, I wasn't...you know...I'm really sorry. It won't happen again, I promise. I'm sorry."

Jodi took a deep breath "I know you are, Sam, but please try and keep others in mind more often. I can't bare the thought of something happening to you. I know we're in Stardew Valley and you're an adult but just," Jodi hugged her son, "please, be careful."  
"I will. Mom."

"Now, what on Earth were you doing out at a time like this?"

"Uh...about that..."

"Sam, you have to tell me."

"Well, you see..."

"Was it bad? If it was, we can talk about it."

"The thing is...I'm not sure if you..." Sam was stalling. Fortunately, this paid off, and as Jodi was losing her patience Vincent walked into the room.

"Mom, what's going on?" Vincent said, rubbing his eyes.

"Oh, Vince, honey, I'm sorry. Nothing's happening, go back to bed, sweetie." Jodi turned and led Vincent back out of the room. She looked over her shoulder. "We'll talk about this later."

Sam swallowed. He noticed he was sweating.

I decided the best course of action if I was going to see Sam today would be to walk toward his house. Certainly this was a good plan. On my way I bumped into Pam, the local drunk. That was mean. The local bus driver, I should say.

"Hey, kid. You got any good grub on that farm?" She asked with a sly look.

"Not since my beautiful parsnips succumbed to the summer heat." I took a gamble with something witty, so I backed off my usual snark when I said this.

"Ha! Well, when you get things back up and running again, don't forget to save some for me!" She said, winking. I don't know why, I hardly knew her. I guessed people were just nice around here. I appreciated that. While I contemplated the true bliss of this place, I actually found Sam skateboarding through the town square.

"Were you just gonna ignore me all day?"

"..."

"Or are you still gonna ignore me?"

"..."

"Sam!"

Sam looked up and fell over his skateboard. I only now noticed his earbuds in.

"Ah! I'm sorry, are you hurt?" I rushed over to him. He flashed me a grin.

"Perfect." I smiled back.

"So?"

"So what? You came to me."

"Don't play dumb. What do we do as our first day as a couple?" I normally would not have said something so frilly, but I felt giddy. To my dismay, Sam looked around and seemed nervous.

"What's wrong?" I asked.

"...Nothing, don't worry about it. Let's walk around."

I decided to ignore it. Sam and I walked a bit, as we had usually done. Despite us getting familiar last night, he seemed rather uncomfortable. I did not want to acknowledge it for fear of an upset reaction from Sam. We decided to walk toward my house.

"Had she said that before?" I asked, in the middle of a conversation.

"...If I'm being honest, (m/n), I can't remember...And to be more honest, I don't wanna talk about it anymore."

"..."

"Sorry." Sam grabbed my hand, and I felt instant relief.

We walked, hand in hand, onto my land. Sam was about to say something when Alex walked over to us, saying, "Uh, why are you guys holding hands?" I had completely forgotten about him.

I stopped walking and Sam's face flushed red.

"What?! We weren't! What are you talking about, Alex?" Sam reacted with a hostile expression, instantly removing his hand from mine. I was confused.

"I'm pretty sure of what I saw, Sam."

"Well, you must have seen wrong!" I was hurt by Sam's words, but he was obviously upset so I ignored it.

"And what's the problem if we were?" I entered the conversation.

"Well, that's really weird...and...you know..." The uncomfortableness had shifted to Alex.

"No, Alex, I don't know." I said with earnestness.

"Well, I would probably have a problem with it."

I was shocked. I hadn't expected discrimination here. Oh, well, Alex is the alpha male, raised by his grandparents. It only makes sense.

"Huh," I looked at the ground. "You can go now, Alex."

"Uh...okay...Sorry, I guess," I felt kind of bad, watching him leave. I turned to Sam, hoping to console him.

"You, okay, Sam?"

"..." He was faced away from me.

"Buddy?"

"That was...too close."

"What...what do you mean?"

"You know what I mean."

"Does Alex have a thing against," I hated phrasing it like this, "against people like us?"

Sam, who had already sat down, put his head in his hands. "More or less."

"Well, we can deal with him, then. Don't let this get you down."

"Don't you understand, (m/n)?" Sam stood up now.

"What would Alex do?" I laughed nervously a little bit.

"It's not just Alex..." Sam took a deep breath. "This town is small, rural, old, religious... Wouldn't it seem natural that this place isn't exactly rushing to push a liberal agenda? If people knew about...about us, we could be outcasts. It's gonna take a lot to change these people's minds, trust me."

I understood now what Sam meant. I had never expected oppression in a place like this. I had never even encountered it before. I could tell by the look on his face that Sam felt a mix of shame, fear, and frustration. Much the same could be said for me.

"Well..." I was not at all sure what to say. "Well, let's not...give up." I mentally chastised myself for my poor word choice.

"Of...of course not."

"And, we'll work something out. Let's take things easy, slow. For now, I know it'll be hard, but let's keep it under wraps. We don't need the confirmation of others."

"Of course...I couldn't imagine what my dad would say if he ever found out about this."

"I'm sure there are certain people in this town we can trust, naturally."

"Of course." Sam was cheering up.

I gave him a light smile.

"As of right now, why don't you come inside." I motioned with my arm, pointed with my thumb.

Sam gave his traditional half-smile and blushed.

"Of course."


	7. Chapter 7

**(a/n: sorry this took so long, had to rewrite it a couple times, hope it turned out good)**

Abigail felt like she was going crazy. What she and Sam had was so great, she had thought. They were inseparable. He had said that. They wouldn't let anything tear them apart. He had _said_ that.

She lay on her bed, the covers and pillows of which matched her purple hair. She had made a recent custom of giving herself time like this to think about her life. Increasingly these sessions had diverted from what they used to be to times where she could think about her past Sam. As she thought about it more, it made less and less sense. Sure, they fought. Sure, it was pretty big. But this had happened before. He had always come crawl, er, tried to make up. But it had been almost a week and he still hadn't talked to her. Were they done for good? No, of course not. He needed her. She knew Sam needed someone to be emotionally open to. He couldn't talk to Sebastian about his feelings, he needed her to stay sane. He must be going crazy without someone to talk to. It just didn't make any sense.

"Abigail, sweetie, could you please come help me?" Abigail rolled her eyes at her mother's nickname as she heard the voice from the store.

"Coming!" Abigail refrained from telling her mother not to call her that and got up from her bed.

In the store, Caroline needed help stocking shelves. When she walked in, Abigail noticed the farmer standing at the counter, probably looking to buy seeds or something. She overheard their conversation.

"What do you mean you don't sell red cabbage seeds yet?" He seemed pretty agitated.

"Well, the manufacturers' union had a strike, and it just got too expensive..." her Dad was trying to explain.

"How am I supposed to appease the little apple spirits now?"

"Wh-What do...I'm not...What?" Pierre's confusion was mutual with Abigail's.

"Sorry, those are just, uh, what I, uh, call my friends...?" The farmer smiled and kept talking like a normal person. What a weirdo, Abigail thought. Well, at least he was funny, even if he wasn't trying to be. Her mind still stuck on him, a thought struck her. The thought that this farmer was exactly the sort of person Sam would like.

And Abigail suddenly stopped thinking. Of course. That kid had stayed there after she left. That had to be it. Sam didn't need Abigail anymore not because he had learned to cope with his emotions by himself, but because he had found someone else who would listen to him. And Abigail very quickly felt something come over her, something she didn't recognize. A mix of anger, relief, and confusion, too much for her to comprehend. She had figured it out. After having paused to think, she whipped her head around faster than she meant to, seeing the farmer just as he was leaving. And she just stared at the door after.

"A-Abigail, sweetie, are you okay?"

"Huh?" Abigail just stared at her disconcerted mother.

"You were staring off into space...you seem upset, do you need to lie down?"

Abigail brought herself back to her senses. "No, I'm totally fine. Are you all set her? I wanna go for a walk."

"Oh, uh, yes, I think so. Go ahead. Be home before dark!"

"Thanks, Mom!" Abigail smiled cheerily as she walked out of her family's store, but her face certainly did not reflect the mix of emotions she was truly feeling. She turned and walked in the direction of the farm, seeing the farmer walking a bit ahead of her.

No red cabbage, I couldn't believe it! How could Pierre call that establishment of his a store if he didn't even sell the staple crop that is red cabbage?!

My internal furor was interrupted by a very short but distinct rustling of leaves. Myself not one particularly fond of being stalked, I turned my head toward where I had heard the noise and took a step to look around. I didn't see anything, so I assumed I was just unnecessarily paranoid and kept walking. Besides, I would have certainly noticed anyone considering every single person in this town has hair either the color or the shape of a tropical fruit.

I continued walking, now confident in my obliviousness. In the walks to and from my farm, I had made a habit of giving myself time to think about my life. I wasn't entirely focused on my farm at this point. No, my focus was much more dedicated to him.

"I wonder if he's waiting for me?" I had also made a habit of talking to myself on my walks. Good thing there was no one around to hear. Unfortunately and unbeknownst to me, there was in fact someone eavesdropping on every word I would have to say.

"He's been full of surprises, I was hoping to see him today. But he did say he was busy with..." I lost my train of thought. Abigail was fully captivated.

"Something with Vincent, I think...I know he wants to see me." At the mention of his brother's name, the unknown Abigail gasped audibly. I turned around, knowing I had heard something this time.

Trying to convince myself I wasn't crazy, I spoke out, "Hello? Is, uh, is anyone there?" Naturally, no response followed, and I decided it would be smartest to make my way home rather quickly.

And Abigail was met with a dilemma. Does she follow the farmer home, increasing her already prominent creepiness in order to find out more about the friendship between the farmer and Sam she had confirmed, or does she return home now knowing only what he had said. After watching him go, Abigail couldn't help but give in to her curiosity, electing to attempt to discover more about this meddling farmer.

As I stepped onto my land, I looked around, hoping to see my beloved blonde on the porch or riding his skateboard. To my disappointment, however, he was nowhere to be found.

I refrained from speaking to myself for fear of the mysterious noises which had seemed to be following me as I walked over to the bin. For the first time now I questioned how this wooden box magically turned the useless garbage I found lying around into money, but I decided not to think about it too hard and opened it up.

"Boo!" Sam shouted as he jumped out of the shipping bin.

I jumped back and screamed, "Christ, Sam! Did you," I panted, having been genuinely spooked, "really have to do that?"

"Ha ha! How could I resist?"

"Ugh, I'm already on edge, you know I don't like being scared..." I groaned, albeit I thought the idea of hiding in the shipping bin was pretty clever.

"Hey, I'm sorry. If it's any consolation, your face was hilarious."

"I'm glad it was worth it." I couldn't stay mad at him.

"Oh, it was...what had you on edge?"

"Well, you're gonna think it's stupid, but I felt, like," for some reason, I was kind of nervous to tell Sam something that now seemed childish. "Like, it felt like I was being followed. Like, I heard some noises, it's really dumb." I was already blushing, turning away.

"Oh, well, are you okay?" Sam sounded authentic.

"Oh, I'm totally fine."

"Who would wanna follow you?"

"I have no clue." With this acknowledgement, I realized how foolish my fear really was.

"Well, hey, if you have any trouble with anyone, you let me know, okay?"

I smiled at Sam with genuine gratefulness, "Of course."

I hadn't realized it, but it was already 6 p.m. No chance I was about to start work now, so I invited Sam inside. He happily obliged and as we walked through the door he wrapped his arm around my shoulder.

And Abigail had caught herself on her breath as she saw this. Guys don't just do that if they're friends, right? Why were they smiling at each other like that? Why was Sam getting so close to him? Abigail kept asking herself questions to distract herself from what she assumed was the answer. The idea that Sam and the farmer were...a thing...she didn't, she couldn't think about it. It couldn't be true, could it? Maybe they had just gotten to be good friends. She knew Sam was willing to swing both ways, but that didn't mean he would just get with anyone. Sam was picky. And he had just met this farmer! There was no way. She was just being paranoid.

Suddenly, as Abigail was lost in her thoughts staring at the farmer's house, the curtains blocking the view of the window opened. Abigail, shaken by this, paid shrewd attention to make sure the farmer, who had opened them, was no longer in the window. Once she had confirmed this, she darted out from behind the tree she had been hiding behind and quickly started back toward her house. She didn't know what to think. Even if they weren't (and she hated thinking it) in a relationship, Sam had still found someone else whom he could rely on to talk and be emotionally open with. And at this, Abigail realized her jealousy. She wanted Sam back. If that farmer wanted to stand between her and the boy she was meant to be with, then so be it. But if she had anything to say about it, he wouldn't be standing for long.


	8. Chapter 8

_COCKADOODLE-DOOOOOoooo..._

The only thing worse than this bird waking me up at 6 a.m. every morning was getting out of bed. So, I guess, in turn, the bird was the worst thing. Either way, it had only taken a season and a half, but I had now come to fully realize that I was certainly not a morning person. My motivation was at its lowest, I cared the least, and I felt the most exhausted right after waking up. I found it funny how sleep fulfilled so poorly its main purpose. Oh, well. The show must go on.

I yawned as I sat up, stretching my arms above my head. I loved the way the sun rose from behind my house, allowing light to shine in through the window above my headboard, fully illuminating my bedroom. Despite my fatigue, the light of morning convinced me to coax myself out of bed.

Before getting a chance to, however, a buzz on my phone caught my attention. I wondered if it was Sam. But I knew it was, who else would be texting me?

" _hey, you busy today?_ "

I looked out my window. The barren wasteland of my farm beckoned to me, It begged me to cultivate it, the unhealthy land craving some form of agriculture. Naturally, I decided that I would totally ignore my job if Sam wanted anything.

" _no, do you need something?_ "

" _yeah, we need to talk_ " This text had me taken aback. I didn't like the wording of it, people only said something like that when they had something important to say. The fact that he hadn't just texted me what he needed to say increased my feeling of unease, so when I stood up, I felt uncomfortable. I moved slowly around my house, getting ready to meet up with Sam.

" _ok, right now?_ "

" _the sooner the better_ "

" _ok, see you soon. ill be at ur house in 15_ "

" _see ya_ " I let out a breath. I didn't know why my nervousness had so overcome me, I was sure it couldn't be that bad. Maybe it was good news, who knew? Either way, there was no point worrying over it, I'd find out eventually. So, after I had completely readied myself, I stepped out into the cool air. I turned my head, squinted at the sun, and walked with intent.

Abigail felt like she had never thought so hard about anything in her life. She couldn't stand to ignore it, but she hated how obsessed she felt. What had she really seen last night? How could she get Sam back? How does Sam feel about the whole situation? What is going on in that farmer's head? Unanswerable questions swirled in her mind, she felt the burden of all of them plaguing her. The resolution they called for prevented her from acknowledging anything else. She had to think. She knew Sam better than anyone. Sam cared about few things, and one of those was his friends. So, right now, he must care wholly about that farmer.

"That's it!" Abigail was hit with an epiphany. Finally, an idea had sprung into her head. She knew there was a way to end this. All she had to do was execute. But how do to so only faced her with an excess of new questions.

"I need to get in contact with that farmer. Unless Sam's brainwashed him, he shouldn't hate me. Even if he does a little, I can turn on the charm and convince him that I'm on his side." She thought aloud to help herself think. "So, if I can just befriend the farmer, I'll have plenty of opportunities to get him and Sam apart. And I'll cross _that_ bridge when I get to it." A smile crept across Abigail's face. She was no stranger to manipulation, though she hated to admit it. But, when she knew what she wanted and she was given the chance to get it, how was she going to say no?

"As for now, I'll think this through a bit more. But I've got it." Abigail fell backwards on to her bed, relieved."

"What do you mean, you had to tell your mom?" I didn't mean to sound as angry as I came off.

"Well, she was suspicious, and, you know, asking me questions, and it was just..." Sam was both defensive and ashamed. I didn't bother asking Sam why he had told his mom, what had happened had happened so I focused on helping Sam.

"So, are things okay? I mean, I don't care, but what did she say?"

"We're Catholic." Sam signaled air-quotes when he said that. "So I think she was disappointed."

"Is it okay if I'm here right now?"

"Yeah, she's out shopping or something."

Apparently, Sam's mom found about him and me. It was hardly my place, but it did make me feel kind of uncomfortable. Jodi was really nice, although we hadn't talked much. However, I didn't know much about her, and I had learned to grow quite weary of any people's reactions when they found out about anything along the lines of this. It was already a sensitive situation, and now that I knew Jodi wasn't outright supportive made me increasingly nervous. Of course, she was Sam's mom, and from what I knew she wouldn't do anything to hurt him. In all honesty, I knew things were still under control.

"She said, 'We'll get through this.'" Sam suddenly broke a silence.

"For real?" I said in disbelief.

"Yeah. I wasn't willing to argue, so I just looked down and didn't say anything."

"That's stupid of her to say." I didn't say this because I disliked Jodi, but because I was afraid of the implications of "getting through this".

"I agree." Sam looked toward me. I smiled. He did the same. She stood no chance. How could anything ever ruin this?

I took this next moment of silence to look around Sam's room. The green carpet, which cornered off and left a minority of the room bare with intricate, brown hardwood flooring, was beginning to peel up at places. The two windows on adjacent walls allowed light to stream in, the midday sun gleaming off the ground and creeping up the wood boards which lined the walls. Posters of various artists were pinned to the bricks, their corners wilting like the petals of flowers. Sam's drum set lay on the hardwood. The transparent membrane of the bass drum was stuffed with pillows, and I knew that was to muffle the sound. The other various instruments comprising the set appeared beat up, their wear indicating their age. Dented cymbals, discolored toms, and stands which leaned on one leg more than the other two. I had played drums when I was younger, so I appreciated knowing that the drum set was in fact Sam's and not Abigail's. Either that, or Abigail had just not bothered to come and get it back.

Almost on cue as I was thinking about her, Sam mentioned Abigail and asked, "Hey, uh, has Abigail, like, tried to talk to you at all."

I was bit surprised. "No, was I supposed to have?"

"No, I was just wondering."

"Why do you ask?"

"I don't know, I just had a hunch that she might have. I know her better than most, and her manipulative side tells me that if she were to try and get back at me, it would start with you."

"Oh, well, okay. I'll be sure to avoid her."

"I mean, I guess I can't tell you who to spend your time with. Don't take that the wrong way. Just, in case she does try and talk to you, be careful." Sam tone changed to demonstrate his sincerity.

I looked to Sam, I had been distracted by something outside. "Of course."

Soon, Sam needed me to leave. Not that I couldn't be over while Jodi was, but, given the current circumstances, I opted to spend the rest of the day away from the woman who just told my boyfriend he was just in a phase.

On my way home, It was odd, but I felt a certain sense of ambition mixed with caution. On one hand, I knew the acceptance of Sam's mom would be a big step in our relationship, and I wanted to do what I could to help that along. On the other hand, it didn't seem like it would be easy. Not that anything worth doing ever was, but my previous experiences in things like this were not altogether successful. Overall, the situation was...interesting.

As I was walking through the town square, I decided to take a stop in Pierre's store. Just as I neared the opaque doors, they suddenly swung open. My mind still on my conversation with Sam, I was unable to react quick enough and move out of the way of whoever was exiting the store. Very immediately, my eyesight was flooded with purple. I realized I had run into Abigail, and, despite my outstandingly pristine physique, I was knocked to the ground. Abigail yelped as we hit the ground, though I broke her fall. After coming to my senses from having thought my rib was broken for about a second, I looked over at Abigail laying on the ground.

"Oh my goodness, I'm so sorry, I didn't see you. Are you okay?" I was genuinely worried.

Abigail sat up, rubbing her back. "Oh, no, I'm fine, it's my bad." She looked at me, a bit pained. But her eyes lit up when she recognized me, to my surprise. "Hey, you're that farmer! From that night with the band? (m/n), was it?"

I was caught off guard. "Oh, uh, yeah. Hey, Abigail." I just looked at her for a bit, and, after realizing we were both still on the ground, I stood up. I went over and reached out a tentative hand to help her up.

"Sorry, you probably think I'm some lunatic." She accepted my hand and hoisted herself on to her feet. "We never got a proper introduction. I'll bet it's pretty weird only having that impression of a person."

"Oh, I didn't really think too much on it..." I remembered that Sam had just warned me about her.

"Well, I hope we can not be weird about it..."

"Me, too." I smiled. She actually didn't seem that bad. "I'm sure it's a really complicated situation, I can't judge you for anything." At this, Abigail seemed to open up. She smiled, and we talked a bit more. Nothing personal, I didn't want to be rude and avoid conversation though. Eventually, she invited me in the store. Considering that's where I was headed in the first place, I obliged. The more I talked with her, the more my image of Abigail shifted. She seemed truly considerate, and I didn't interpret her kindness as manipulation at all. As much as Sam had complained to me about her, I couldn't help but feel charmed as we talked.

"Well, did you need anything from the store?" The conversation was wrapping up.

"I guess I wasn't really. Not sure why I was coming in."

"Haha, I do that all the time."

"Well, I gotta get going, that soil won't till itself." I waved after I said this.

"See ya!"

I turned and walked out the door, and, as I did, I couldn't help but notice that the door was actually transparent from the inside.


End file.
